


The Greater Gatsbies

by ignis_kun



Series: The Greater Gatsbies: The Rangami Chronicles [2]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: A friend introduced me to it and it's rattled in my head since, Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Boats and Ships, Car Accidents, Cars, Coats, Hotels, I am introducing you to a rarepair this fine morn, M/M, Motels, Mutual Pining, Ocean, Pining, Rare Pairings, Road Trips, Running Away, Sharing Clothes, Slow Burn, Sunsets, hi, mentioned car crash, they've known each other since high school but are not together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:35:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27186653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ignis_kun/pseuds/ignis_kun
Summary: Togami asked Amami to take him anywhere. Away from where he was, anywhere than where he was. With Amami in town and his need for freshness, just something new. Just something to take him away from it all. The temptation was like a snake in the Garden of Eden.They left in the middle of the night. Just them and a boat.Now that they're on the road, what do they do now?
Relationships: Amami Rantaro/Togami Byakuya
Series: The Greater Gatsbies: The Rangami Chronicles [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1984565
Comments: 5
Kudos: 9





	1. A World Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'll never be sure of you, Amami. Never." a pause. "But take me somewhere else."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WE GOT the Togami centric portion here, Amami centric portion comes next chapter!

How had they gotten here? 

Or more specifically, how had  _ he  _ gotten here?

He had asked Amami to take him somewhere for a bit. He didn’t care where it was, he just wanted to be taken  _ somewhere  _ by him. Togami had given up his control and let himself, as they say, “live a little.” It was a grossly impulsive choice on his part because the adventurer was in town, part because he truly did wish to leave where he was. 

He had been infuriatingly drawn to Amami. Something about the man made him always want to be a little closer, hold one more silent moment or take that small bit of time out of his day to greet him when he was in town. He’d call him a friend, but the word feels bitter on his tongue like the bitter and burnt motel coffee he’s certain only people without taste buds or any perception of texture can stand to drink.

He’s not sure if he would have asked anyone else for this. If he would have trusted anyone else enough to ask.  
  
  


If he’d want to do this with anyone else.  
  
  


It was a few months later and he hadn’t returned home. It had slowly begun to become clear to them that it would be for a little longer than a quick getaway, and that it wasn’t even a quick getaway in the slightest. Whether or not either of them would ever vocalize that was about as up in the air as it could be. They could keep it as an unspoken statement for now. 

Stepping outside, the ocean breeze greeted him with that familiar sight of the waves gently ebbing onto the rocky shore with small bits of seafoam leaving their traces after receding. A bit of yellow peeks over the horizon, welcoming the first hours of the morning and a near silence only filled by the quiet chatter of a few early risers packing a truck in the parking lot below in a language he doesn’t understand.

It’s  **cold** . It’s **bitterly cold** and Togami despises it. It’s what he gets for not specifying he wanted to be taken somewhere amiable. 

A spot near the coast in mid-February was not the most welcoming scenery. Especially when they’re up north like this. He's just slept in a shoddy motel with a broken shower, heating and he’s near-certain the place has not bought any new decoration since the 1980s or some other decade that surely was not the one they were in. They’ve only been here for a few hours now and Togami has already decided he despises the place.

He prefers the boat over this.

He had spent most of the night pacing around the room, unsure of where to sit that wouldn’t be completely uncomfortable or be free of stains. His legs grew sore after the first hour. 

His mind has been racing as well, thinking about just about anything. 

He is not living in comfort. As a fact he does not know how  _ anyone _ could live like this for any period of time. He refuses. Needless to say, he can’t sleep in the slightest and he refuses to attempt it. He had learnt that sleeping in the car or whichever vehicle they were taking, was often a better alternative to these run-down motels. It made the long stretches of road go by quicker. Even if he woke up with nausea and a dry mouth, it was preferable to sharing a bed with rodents or some kind of insects. 

Togami is surprised they’ve even used a car here considering Amami has historically avoided them like the plague, stating he doesn’t enjoy the emissions or something to the same effect. The fidgetiness whenever he was on a bus or in any crowded area hadn’t gone unnoticed, but in cars, it had been horrid during their school days. It was odd to see someone usually so laid back and seemingly carefree suddenly get intense.   
  


Emissions. He highly doubts that.

He can still notice some apprehension. There’s a certain expression he has wherever he closes the door and puts his hands on the wheel and the sigh that always comes afterwards before he asks Togami if he’s ready to get going with that same smile that always seems forced. He’s not even sure if Amami has a license.

Of course Amami had come out here. He was always one for “enjoying the ocean breeze” as he himself has put it previously. He had explained to Togami before the odd connection he had with the ocean, some kind of draw and calming presence. He had grown to appreciate the view somewhat, but he doubted he’d never have that level of attachment to it.   
  


He wasn’t so dependent.

Taking a few more steps out, he joins the wayward spirit by the railing outlooking the ocean. It’s so close that if he crossed the road he’d be at a cliff overlooking the seemingly black waters. He feels unsteady even on the balcony. The metal railing’s black paint has begun to chip away, leaving red rust in its wake. One wrong gust of wind and this place would fold like paper.

Togami breaks the silence.

“How can you stand this? It’s far too cold out.”

Amami shrugs.

“Been here before. Trust me, it’s much nicer in the summer,”  he explains,  “You get used to the cold when you’re in it enough though.”

He can notice the pale fog coming from Amami’s mouth as he speaks. He’s sure it’s the same case when he speaks, the bottom of his glasses have fogged.  Amami continues.

“Ah, but the coat helps as well.” 

He lets out a huff.

“I  _ would _ have brought one as well had you told me we were going to be somewhere so cold.”

“I didn’t think we’d be coming here at first.”

There’s a slight pause and the distinct sound of fingernails tapping the cracking metal. Amami turns to face him once more, shrugging his coat off his shoulders and dusting it off before holding it out for the heir.

“Here. I’m alright without it”

Togami stares at the coat for a few more moments. He could easily fare the cold on his own, albeit while shivering and with chattering teeth. A sweater can only do so much to fight off sub-zero temperatures, and the offer is tempting.   
  
He wastes no time taking the coat after this small moment of contemplation. No need to draw out a simple exchange. 

Amami noticeably stifles a laugh and his attention is brought back to the yellow spreading across the sky making way for a new orange hue. 

And he looks at home somehow. 

The coat does an adequate job of warming him up, but a bit of a smaller fit than what it should be. He can feel a bit of the cold air still biting at his wrists. Togami’s well aware here he doesn’t have room to be fussy about it, he should have truly been ready for anything considering he did say ‘anywhere but here’. 

“Can’t sleep either?”

Togami sighs.

“Not there, no.”

He notes the faint dark circles under Amami’s eyes. They’ve been there for a while now. Both of them are exhausted, a good night’s sleep had been only a concept to the both of them. He’s lost track of how long it’s been since he’s rested somewhere he’d fully call comfortable.

There have been quite a few nights when neither of them could sleep. Both of them have had their fair share of nights looking out at the sea or staring at the ceiling, or at each other. Maybe they've shared a bed once or twice. Just for warmth. Just for security. Though Amami’s opened the door for him to speak about what’s bothering him, he’s never taken the invitation. There are things he’d rather keep to himself, and he intends to do just that. He’d simply join him like he has here.

For some reason, just listening to the adventurer ramble off about someplace he’s been before or some person he’s met is calming. It gets his mind off of whatever was troubling him nine times out of ten. 

A low hum from Amami.

“I know this place isn’t exactly your speed or... comfortable, really. We’ll be back on the boat soon.”

He’s also aware that if there were more comfortable accommodations, they’d be taking them. Neither of them are exactly short on money, they can afford better than this. However, neither of them wanted to drive for any longer than they had the previous day, so they had settled. They had to stop somewhere.

And they couldn’t be seen either. By now, Togami is well aware there are people searching for him. 

“The coffee is repulsive.” 

The phrase is muttered under his breath. 

“Oh, you tried it,”  Amami is quick to let out a chuckle,  “You can’t expect much from these places, y’know? It’s never very good.”

A lesson learnt. He had expected a bit more from even the lower end of accommodation, though those expectations hadn’t been set high to begin with. The coffee hadn’t even been warm. It’s an insult to the drink in his opinion. 

He feels dirty putting his feet on the floor of this place. He’s only chosen to lean with his arms on the railing due to the fact it won’t touch his own skin, only the coat. If his hands were not awkwardly folded the way they were, he’s sure he’d risk some kind of disease. 

Gloves were another item he’d have to purchase when they stop next. Ordering in high-quality ones was not an option. He’d have to settle, even if he isn’t particularly thrilled about it. This entire trip had forced him to make some adjustments.

They pass several minutes with no words between them. 

There have been quite a few moments like this that have passed. Their conversations don’t tend to include much during the mornings. It’s another mutual understanding they’ve come to. Sometimes they prefer the company of one another in simple silence.

He allows himself to take in the scenery a bit, or try to at least. 

Somehow being able to do absolutely nothing with Amami and still finding it pleasant by the both of them being in each other’s company. Togami thinks of it as horribly cliched, and he came to the realization that he had grown highly fond of the adventurer near the beginning of this trip. His own exhaustion doesn't change that.

He looks over to Amami only to find neither of them are looking at the sunrise anymore.

Once they’re back on the road, Amami doesn’t ask for his coat back.


	2. Stuck With Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It's time to hit the road, isn't it? Off to the next place... running somewhere different. There's a thrill to it, y'know?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter here is from Amami's perspective, and is kind of the sister piece to the last one! It takes place near directly after, and it expands more on his feelings about the entire situation they've found themselves in.

“Ready to go?”

● ● ●  


  
  


Amami has avoided cars up until a year ago. 

He’s sure he shouldn’t have been so shaken up from a car accident, it happens to a lot of people and he is no specialty in that regard. However, that combined with his unease in small spaces in general, it had rendered him fidgety whenever he was in one. 

Those times he had to take a car during high school, he’d mostly try to mask this agitation. He’d avoid them where he could, even walk some places where it would be easier to just order a taxi. It wasn’t to the extent where he’d break down into tears and become a nervous wreck, but there were noticeable ticks. Moving around his rings too much, tapping his foot on the floor, going into small moments of haze unless he was speaking with someone. 

In the end, he had decided to face his fears after he graduated and he got a proper license. 

Some of the small tinges of anxiety remain around it, but it’s manageable and he no longer needs to rely on hitchhiking. Though he’s met some pretty nice people through it, he’s also met some people where getting out of a moving car was his best option. 

He feels as if he’s bracing himself every time he gets behind the wheel. The last thing he wants to do is get into a crash again, and there’s the feeling that the walls are closing in on him or that he’s somehow trapped at times. 

He knows that it would be best if he weren’t driving at the moment. He’s tired, he didn’t manage to get any sleep last night and he’s running purely on ashy-tasting motel coffee. He knows he should avoid it, and that one day it might make him sick, but it was all that was there and he had to run on something. 

The faint sounds of radio static fill the air along with the occasional whir of another car passing by and the heater. Amami doesn’t know any stations around here, and he hasn’t taken the time to seek through them yet. The radio is turned off. He’d prefer to not listen to anything right now.  


He looks to the man in his passenger seat. He isn’t looking back this time.

Togami drifted off about a few hours ago. His head is rested up against the seat and turned to the side. He knows that he hadn’t gotten any sleep last night, he had been pacing around the motel room for a while. He knew for a fact that Togami wouldn’t like the place, but it was the closest place to stop on their way back. They could have kept driving for a few hours, but the stop was needed. Amami was about to fall asleep at the wheel. 

He does want to fill the air with something, but it doesn’t seem like that’ll be possible at the moment. 

He never asked for his coat back, but the heater in the car along with the sweater, scarf and gloves he’s wearing do enough to compensate for it. He’d consider himself pretty resistant to the cold in the first place due to his travels, extreme temperatures don’t bother him as much as they used to. He wouldn’t call this too intense, however. 

He has things to think about in regards to Togami: he’s started to critically think about what’s actually happening here.

Amami’s aware of his own feelings. He likes Togami, and that’s without a doubt. He’s not sure how exactly it happened, but he ended up enjoying his company. The two of them had gotten to talking when they were younger, and he honestly thought he was straight for awhile. He still doesn’t know for sure. 

And now he’s technically run away with him. Of all the people he could have imagined doing this with, he had thought of Togami as an unlikely possibility. 

There’s been many stolen glances and fond conversations between the two of them over the course of this trip, he’s even seen Togami smile a few times. They’ve had their lows as well along with silent nights when neither of them could sleep staring up at the sky, they've shared a bed. Togami had insisted it was only for the warmth, or because he was cold, but Amami has taken comfort in these occurrences. He often finds it’s easier to get through them when someone else is there. 

There’s the chance he could be reading too far into simple gestures, but he’d like to think there’s some kind of chance. 

  
  


Usually, he’d be more laid-back with this. See where things go, and be more upfront with his feelings. He had been up to a certain point with this entire situation.

Had it been anyone a bit.. less difficult he would have told them by now. He cares about Togami, but he has to admit he can be harsh around the edges to put it nicely, and he’s not sure how he’d take a confession if it wasn’t reciprocated. 

Here? 

He’s terrified with a touch of concern for more than one reason. 

He doesn’t have the liberty of just seeing where things go. He’s used to the nerves that come with liking someone, the best kind of anxiety someone can experience in his own opinion, but this is different. This isn’t just those pre-confession nerves though. 

Up until this point, whenever he’s gone on a trip with someone he cares for, they’ve disappeared. It happened with his sisters, and he doesn’t want to abandon Togami somewhere without realizing it as he did with them. Amami’s afraid he’s going to leave to get something and find that he isn’t there when he gets back. 

He’s also aware that if anything happened between them, it would have to stay hushed considering Togami’s position. He’s been away from home for a long time, and there are most likely people looking for him by now. It’s a risk he took when he took Togami up on his request to travel. The two of them just up and left in the middle of the night on his boat. 

They should get off the road soon and back on the boat. They were only an hour away from where he had docked, but they had a car to return and they should probably pick up some supplies before they leave. They’re running low on food.

Renting this car was a bad idea as well, wasn’t it? It could be trailed back to them. They’d have to get as far as possible from here afterwards. 

Amami lets out a deep sigh. He’s used to taking these kinds of risks, and he’s dealt with the stress relatively well so far. All he needs to find out is where exactly they’re going next. 

Maybe heading down to the Caribbean would be a good idea... or Oceania. It’s not hurricane or typhoon season yet, so they don’t have that to worry about until around June, May if they were unlucky enough. Considering that it’s still rather early into the year, he doubts it will take a few months to get there if they move quickly enough. They’ll already be out of there by then.

Maybe then he could take Togami to Europe when the warmer months came around. He’s sure that the nicer areas of it would be more his speed, though they won’t be able to experience everything. They’d have to keep moving. 

Funny how he’s mentally planning for a few months from now. Would they still be travelling together by then?

They’d figure this out somehow. 

  
  
  


The man beside him finally stirs. 

“Oh, you’re up.”

Togami lets out a small, stifled yawn, covering it with his hand. Out of the corner of his eye, he notices Togami fixing his glasses afterwards.

He really does need to keep his eyes on the road. 

“How far away is it?”

“About an hour away now, should be there soon.”

He tightens his grip on the wheel before releasing it and letting out a silent, heavy breath. The words serve as a reminder to him as well. He’s craving some form of rest, and driving for the past few days hasn’t given him that.

He really is exhausted, isn’t he?


End file.
